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Buxton leads seven Twins on AFL squad

Buxton leads seven Twins on AFL squad

Byron Buxton, whom the Twins took with the second overall pick in the 2012 Draft, talks to Jonathan Mayo about his progress in the Minors

By Rhett Bollinger and Kelly Erickson
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MLB.com |

MINNEAPOLIS -- Top prospects Byron Buxton, Alex Meyer and Eddie Rosario are among seven Twins Minor Leaguers set to play in the Arizona Fall League this year.

Buxton, ranked as the No. 1 overall prospect according to MLB.com, is considered the headliner for the Arizona Fall League, which begins play in early October. Meyer, ranked as the No. 33 overall prospect, and Rosario, ranked No. 64, join Buxton as Twins prospects ranked in MLB.com's Top 100 set to play in the Fall League.

Other Twins farmhands set to represent the organization include right-hander Trevor May, outfielder Max Kepler, right-handed relievers Zach Jones and A.J. Achter. All seven players will play for the Glendale Desert Dogs, which will be managed by Double-A New Britain skipper Jeff Smith.

"It's a pretty good group," Twins general manager Terry Ryan said. "You put guys in that league and they need to take advantage of the situation, the exposure and competition playing with different players and different coaches. There's a flock of scouts at every game."

Buxton, 19, has dominated at Class A Cedar Rapids and Class A Advanced Fort Myers this season, hitting a combined .335/.426/.532 with 12 homers, 19 doubles, 18 triples and 52 stolen bases in 117 games. Ryan said the goal is to continue to challenge Buxton, who will be one of the younger players in the Arizona Fall League.

"We think Buxton is ready to go compete out there," Ryan said. "This league has gotten younger as it's evolved."

Rhett Bollinger is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Bollinger Beat, and follow him on Twitter @RhettBollinger. Kelly Erickson is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.